Start and Go
by SpiritualEnergy
Summary: Mao. Kai. Everyone. Growing pains.


**Title: **Start and Go  
**Author: **SpiritualEnergy  
**Fandom: **_Bakuten Shoot Beyblade_  
**Genre: **General, angst, Mao-centric  
**Pairings/Characters: **Mao  
**Rating: **K+  
**Disclaimer: **Beyblade ©Aoki Takao  
**Summary: **Mao. Kai. Everyone. Growing pains.  
**Notes: **Mao has _so _much potential and Kai is just sexy. So. New fic. Hah.

* * *

Mao dreams of true love and butterflies. She feels her heart swell with love when she sees Rei and his earth-shattering Tiger Claw, and she feels privilaged to know she and him are from the same village and that he taught her what it feels like to _start _and _go_ since they were children. She understands why Lai respects him so much, but sometimes she wonders if Lai has ever gotten a _start _and _go_. Maybe he will tell her one day. 

Mao wishes for friends and comfort. And maybe that's what Rei wishes for too, in a sense. Maybe she wasn't enough of that sense he needed, or maybe she didn't give him enough comfort in their little village of big trees and mountains. And so perhaps little Rei had went out to see the world for himself, and on his way met a group of people that became special to him. She likes to think they are friends, but she herself is home. Home sweet home.

Mao hopes for a better fight. She hasn't had a good fight in a long time, and she hopes her skills haven't become rusty. She hopes and wishes and dreams that Lai can beat Takao, but cannot beat Rei. And then she feels a little dirty herself – traitor, traitor, you traitor! - because she isn't sure what Lai would say to that. Maybe it's better this way.

Mao begs for redemption. The tall Captain doesn't scare her the first time, so she taunts him with hopes of strengh and maybe a quirk of the eyebrow will help her here. And then she suddenly feels as if Kai is getting his revenge on her, and that sickening smell of smoke and burning plastic churns in her stomach until Galux is no longer there. She thinks she might cry, but not in front of him. She knows what a true traitor really is now.

Mao wonders where her spine went. She wonders this because all she can do is watch as Rei is brutally beaten, and just stand there and hold his hand afterwards. And she sees him open those pretty eyes of his, as he mutters Takao's name. And she feels Kai standing right beside her and she suddenly can't breathe because she starts wondering if she can still even be called home.

Mao believes in teamwork. Their unity depends on it, and she has new respects for Takao because he is nothing short of a hero. So she helps Rei walk because watching on TV is not the same as seeing it in real life, and echoes of true love and butterflies creeps up on her until she hears Kai say the team is no more. And maybe she can try and not feel so bad because maybe there is different types of teamwork that she will never understand completely.

Mao likes to know Rei will write to her. Her heart swells with that same love and devotion she has felt for a long time when she sees his handwriting. And then her eyes scan the letter as he tells her of his teammates and how they are going to work together again against their new foe, and how Kai had just lost a friend. And she notices he doesn't say he'll write again, but she knows he will. It's just an accident.

Mao feels calm today. When she sees Rei looking back at her with that smile, she hopes he knows they are here and that she is home. And maybe she's still wondering where her spine went because she's never been this shy before. She still feels calm and quiet as they work, but she thinks she might be experiencing growing pains.

Mao watches closely. Rei isn't a boy anymore, and neither is the old Captain that just can't help but grow up more than he should. She feels her chest heave as feathers fly, and she notices burn marks on his skin that weren't there a second ago. But Rei is still smiling over to his opponent who raises his hand up in silence, and she can't see his face and she just can't find the will to understand that right now. But she knows one thing: Rei falls. They catch him.

Mao decides its all just a game. Cars and buildings are never meant to fly, but Takao is. She holds onto Gary for support, and waits for the wind to die down because Brooklyn is out of control and she isn't meant to fight here no matter how much she and the others girls complain. But the thing is, with that spark of honesty she berates Kevin for not having... she doesn't feel inclined to complain in this moment.

Mao sees her chance. Its darker now, but Kai doesn't seem to mind. She asks for that one chance because she's still hoping for a better fight and begging for redemption but doesn't dream of true love and butterflies anymore. Maybe she's still a little bitter; or maybe she's not bitter enough. Either way, Kai accepts her challenge for the first time ever. Alleyways and thirteen-year-olds are gone.

Mao aches with dignity. Burning flesh that wasn't there a second ago stung, and she can feel the ashes clinging to her wet cheeks as she finally lets him see her crying. This is a better fight that she loses but she doesn't care because she doesn't beg for redemption anymore and those growing pains suddenly don't seem so painful anymore as Kai holds out his hand with resignation, and she lets herself think those sharp triangles aren't so terrible anymore and that he would let her touch them if she wanted to. She takes a breath and his hand, and doesn't even mind that she'll have bruises tomorrow.

Mao wants to go home. It's been a while, and she feels tired but just can't help smiling, and she closes her eyes and wishes because she hasn't done that in a long time. She decides she is the friend and Rei is the home and they are the world.

Mao understands now in so many beautiful ways.


End file.
